Furniture frame

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to four part furniture frames having a seat box portion, a back portion and two arm portions. The unique tapered side edges on the seat box portions of these frames allows the seat box portion to be nested with the separate back portion, thereby forming a substantially flat rectangle. The unique notches on the back upright supports posts of these frames support the back spring rail of the seat box portion, allowing the seat stretchers to be uniquely made of plywood or oriented strand board instead of oak. The light weight frames of this invention may be incorporated into both ready-to-assemble furniture and fully assembled upholstered furniture. These light weight, economical, nestable frames may be easily stacked, packed and shipped. Additionally, these frames may be easily assembled, by a furniture manufacturer, a store, a customer, or anyone else, with only eight easy-to-use connectors such as bolts and T-nuts.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to furniture frames, and morespecifically, to an economical, lightweight furniture frame havingunique angled side rails on the seat box portion, a unique seatstretcher, and a unique notch on the back upright posts to accept andsupport the seat box portion of the frame.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Historically, furniture has been manufactured and sold toconsumers fully assembled and upholstered. Such furniture tends to beheavy and bulky, making it difficult to lift and maneuver, both duringmanufacture and transport of the furniture. Such furniture is also oftendifficult to store in a warehouse because it takes up so much space.Furthermore, it can be difficult to deliver to customers, and may evenbe impossible to deliver to some customers due to the dimensionalconstraints of their doorways, hallways, stairways, etc. Finally, theshipping costs associated with such furniture tends to be quiteexpensive because the furniture is so large and cumbersome.

[0003] New ergonomic standards were recently proposed, wherein employeeswould not be allowed to lift more than 50 pounds. These proposedstandards prompted the furniture industry to consider lighter weightsofas, chairs, loveseats, and other pieces. Although these proposedergonomic standards were not instituted, some kept pursuinglighter-weight furniture for other reasons.

[0004] Many different solutions were attempted. However, such solutionsprovided many disadvantages. For example, metal seat frames are tooheavy and too expensive. Wood seat boxes with a metal seating structurewere also constructed, but they too are too heavy, too hard tomanufacture, and too expensive.

[0005] Four part sofa frames were another one of the solutionsattempted. Four part frames themselves, comprising a seat box portion, aback portion and two arm portions, are well-known in the industry, asevidenced by such furniture frames currently being manufactured byseveral foreign and domestic companies.

[0006] Various Italian furniture manufacturers have utilizedconventional four part furniture frame construction for years. However,such construction does not lend itself to being lightweight, or to beingbroken down into smaller sizes that can nest together and fit intosmaller shipping containers. Such conventional frame construction has nohardwood or plywood in it; it uses European fiberboard instead.Furthermore, it does not use metal seat springs; it uses webbingmaterial. This conventional construction results in furniture thatcannot be shipped in relatively small, flat containers because it cannotbe easily broken down. Even broken down as much as possible, furnituremade using such conventional frame construction cannot generally beshipped in a single box via a common carrier such as UPS or FedExbecause it exceeds their maximum ground shipping limits.

[0007] Stanton International of Tualatin, Oreg. uses a frame verysimilar to the four part frame described above. However, Stanton usesplywood and oak rails in its frames instead of fiberboard. The Stantonframe is not conducive to being lightweight, or to being broken downinto smaller sizes that can nest together and fit into smaller shippingcontainers. Furthermore, the Stanton-style seat box is essentially a bigsquare—four rectangles that have been stapled together to form a seatbox.

[0008] Benchcraft, Inc. of Blue Mountain, Miss. also uses a four partframe. However, the Benchcraft frame includes a metal seat box, which ismuch more expensive than using a wooden seat box. Additionally, metaladds undesirable weight to the frame and finished piece of furniture.Like the frames discussed above, the Bencheraft frame is not conduciveto being broken down into smaller sizes that can nest together and fitinto smaller shipping containers.

[0009] Simply Together of High Point, N.C. is yet another furniturecompany utilizing four part frame construction. This company breaks itsfurniture down and ships it directly to customers, who then assemble thefurniture themselves. However, these frames contain a lot of metal,which makes them heavy. This, in turn, leads to three separate shippingcontainers being needed to ship one single sofa in, thereby increasingthe cost of this furniture. Additionally, the seating suspension inthese frames is basically just four pieces of wood with webbing strungbetween them. See, for example, Simply Together's U.S. Pat. Nos.5,263,764, 5,338,095, 5,394,573, 5,423,596, and 5,551,757. The problemwith this seating suspension is that it is not attached anywhere to theframe itself, so it is prone to wobbling, creaking, and warping.

[0010] The conventional four part frames all have similar problems. Theside rails used in the seat box portions of these frames are allgenerally rectangular in shape, and therefore are not easily nestedtogether with the back portions of the frames to form a relatively flatrectangle that can be easily packaged, stacked and transported.Additionally, the seat and back portions of these frames are generallybuilt together as one piece, instead of two separate, lighter weightpieces. Furthermore, the seat stretchers in existing four part frameshave generally always been made of hardwood such as oak, not plywood ororiented strand board (“OSB”). Finally, the back upright posts ofexisting furniture frames have never included a notch for accepting andsupporting the seat box portion of the frame and the weight of anyonesitting on the sofa or chair.

[0011] There is a need for durable furniture frames that arelighter-weight than conventional frames, but that do not sacrificestrength and/or sturdiness as a result of being lighter weight. There isalso a need for furniture frames comprised of a minimal number of piecesthat can be easily assembled. There is yet a further need for lighterweight furniture frames to facilitate easier and more ergonomicmanufacturing and transport, to help improve productivity, and to helpreduce injury and shipping costs.

[0012] Additionally, there is a need for furniture frames that haveseparate seat box and back portions. There is also a need for furnitureframes that have angled, curved or tapered side rails on their seat boxportions so that the separate seat box portion and back portion can benested together to form a relatively flat rectangle, to help reduce theshipping container size and the amount of storage space needed. There isyet a further need for furniture that can be shipped via a commoncarrier in a single slim container without exceeding the maximumshipping weight and size limits, to help reduce shipping costs.

[0013] Furthermore, there is a need for furniture frames that have seatstretchers made of plywood or OSB to help reduce the cost of the frames.There is also a need for furniture frames that have a notch in the backupright posts to accept and help support the seat box portion and theweight of a person, or persons, sitting on the sofa or chair.

[0014] Also, there is a need to provide ready-to-assemble furniture—suchas sofas, loveseats, and chairs—that is inexpensive and that customerscan buy and assemble themselves. Many other types of ready-to-assemblefurniture—such as bookcases, cabinets, entertainment centers, tables,etc.—can already be bought from various places such as Home Depot,Lowe's, Wal-Mart, etc. Therefore, it would be very beneficial to havesofas, loveseats, chairs, etc. that customers can buy and assemblethemselves, purchased either through mail order, via the Internet, or instores.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Accordingly, the above identified shortcomings of existingfirniture frames are overcome by embodiments of the present invention.The present invention relates to furniture frames that can be moresimply and inexpensively manufactured, assembled, and transported.Embodiments of a furniture frame according to the present inventioninclude one or more unique aspects. The preferred embodiment comprises afour piece furniture frame. In one embodiment, the side rails of theseat box portion are angled, curved or tapered so the seat box portionof the frame can be nested with the separate back portion of the frame,thereby forming a substantially flat, rectangular shape that is muchsmaller than the fully assembled frame. In an embodiment, the seatstretchers in the frames of the present invention are made of eitherplywood or OSB, which has never been done before. In an embodiment, theback upright posts include a notch proximate their bottom edge to acceptthe seat box portion of the frame, to support the seat box portion andthe weight of a person(s) sitting on the couch or chair. Moreover, theseat box portion and back portion of the frames of the present inventionmay be made as two separate pieces that can be easily nested togetherfor storage and shipping, and that may be easily assembled at itsdestination, i.e., either at the store or at the customer's home.Embodiments of the present invention preferably include all of theabove-mentioned aspects, but other embodiments may include less than allof the above-mentioned aspects.

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention provide many advantages. Theframes of the present invention are lighter weight, and are made up offewer pieces, than existing frames. As such, they are easier toassemble. This results in less training time, generally less than oneday, being required to teach new furniture manufacturing employees howto make furniture using the frames of the present invention. Cuttingdown on training time can be especially important in an industry, suchas the furniture industry, that sees as much as 15-20% employee turnoverper month. The frames of the present invention can be used to makesofas, loveseats, chairs, and the like. The side rails of the seat boxof the present invention are curved, angled or tapered towards the backof the frame, to facilitate compact nesting and stacking of the frames.The ability of the frames of the present invention to be nested allowsgreater quantities of work-in-process to be stored in a given area,which in turn leads to greater output for a given floor space.Additionally, since the frames of the present invention are lighter,they are more ergonomic, which benefits the framebuilding, assembly andupholstery stages of production. Furthermore, because these frames arelighter and more ergonomic, less injury is likely to occur duringproduction, transportation, and/or assembly of the frames.

[0017] When the separate seat box and back portions of the frames of thepresent invention are nested together, they can easily be fit into arelatively flat, rectangular shipping carton. Thereafter, the frames canbe easily stacked for storage or transport. This is especially importantif one desires to have the four individual parts of these framesmanufactured offshore, such as in China or Brazil, and then shipped tothe USA to be assembled and/or sold. Ideally, these frames are designedand manufactured so that the finished product can be fit into a singleshipping carton without exceeding common carrier's maximum groundshipping limits.

[0018] The notches on the back upright support posts of the frames ofthe present invention accept the seat box portion of the frame, and alsosupport the seat box portion and the weight of anyone sitting on thesofa or chair. This helps distribute the load-bearing weight across theentire width of the frame, instead of placing it all on a few connectingbolts, as is traditionally done in four part frames.

[0019] Generally, the seat stretchers in furniture frames are made ofoak, but the notches in the back upright posts allow the seat stretchersin the present invention to be uniquely made of plywood or OSB. Thishelps reduce costs and weight.

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention comprise a four partfurniture frame that can be nested and packed in a substantially flatrectangular shape. One embodiment of the frame of the present inventionhas a seat box portion and a back portion, where the seat box portionhas at least a front edge, a back edge, and two side edges and the backportion has at least a top rail, a bottom rail, and two notched uprightend support posts. The two side edges of the seat box portion arepreferably tapered, curved or angled back towards the back edge of theseat box portion so the seat box portion may be nested with the backportion. The back edge of the seat box portion may be a back springrail, and there is also preferably a front spring rail present in theseat box portion of the frame. Both the front and back spring rails mayhave spring attachment mechanisms attached to them so that springs maybe attached thereto to form the seating suspension of the frame.Additionally, there is preferably at least one seat stretcher interposedbetween the front and back spring rails to hold them apart. Furthermore,there is preferably an inside gut rail, and also at least one uprightcenter support post, included in the back portion of the frame.

[0021] Ideally, the seat box portion and the back portion are separatepieces that can be assembled by either the furniture manufacturer, thestore, the customer, or anyone else capable of making the necessaryconnections. However, the seat box portion and the back portion may beattached together. These frames may be included in bothready-to-assemble furniture and fully assembled furniture.

[0022] Further, ideally, the frames of the present invention are madesubstantially all of plywood or OSB, with only a few critical piecesbeing made of something else, such as oak. For example, the top rail,the front spring rail, and the back spring rail are ideally made of oakbecause superior strength is required for these pieces. All theremaining pieces may easily and economically be made of plywood or OSB,without sacrificing the overall strength of the frames. Even the seatstretchers and the inside gut rails in these frames may be made ofplywood or OSB because the notches in the upright back support postsprovide superior strength and support to the seat box portion of theseframes.

[0023] Other embodiments of the frames of the present invention alsoinclude two arm portions. Each arm portion is preferably attached to oneside edge of the seat box portion and to one of the upright back supportposts. Ideally, only three bolts and T-nut connectors are needed toattach each arm portion to the seat box and back portions so that thearms may be easily attached by anyone, including the furnituremanufacturer, the store, the customer, or anyone else.

[0024] In some embodiments of the frames of the present invention, theseat box portion and the back portion are nested together into asubstantially flat rectangle, which is then stacked and shipped toeither a warehouse, a furniture manufacturer, a store, or a customer. Inthis embodiment, the arm portions and the cushions may be packed andshipped separately. In other embodiments of the present invention, twoarm portions and cushions may be arranged, preferably as flat aspossible, on top of the nested seat box and back portions, and theentire package may then be shipped to either a warehouse, a furnituremanufacturer, a store, or a customer in a single container.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present invention, the frame is fullyassembled by one or more employees of a furniture manufacturer. Inothers, the furniture manufacturer employee(s) may only assemble thefour individual parts (the seat box portion, the back portion and thetwo arm portions), and then employee(s) of a store may assemble the fourparts together in the store. In other embodiments, the four individualparts may be assembled by one or more people in a warehouse. In stillother embodiments, the four individual parts may be sent directly to thecustomer for them to assemble the four parts together.

[0026] Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will bemore readily apparent to those skilled in the art during the course ofthe following description, wherein references are made to theaccompanying drawings which illustrate some preferred forms of thepresent invention and wherein like characters of reference designatelike parts throughout the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027]FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a furniture frame of theprior art showing the rectangular side rails on the seat box, the oakseat stretchers, and the notchless back upright posts;

[0028]FIG. 2 is a side view of the furniture frame of the prior artshown in FIG. 1;

[0029]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective side view of the frame shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 showing the unique angled side rails of the seat box, theunique seat stretchers, and the unique notches on the back uprightposts;

[0030]FIG. 4 is a side view of the furniture frame shown in FIG. 3;

[0031]FIG. 5 is an exploded side view of the furniture frame shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 showing the notch on a back upright post;

[0032]FIG. 6 is a perspective side view of one embodiment of the frameof the present invention showing the unique angled side rails of theseat box, the unique seat stretchers, and the unique notches on the backupright posts;

[0033]FIG. 7 is a perspective side view of the frame shown in FIGS. 3-6showing the seat box and back portions nested together for easy packing,stacking, and/or shipping; and

[0034]FIG. 8 is a perspective side view of the frame shown in FIGS. 3-7showing four seat box and back portions nested together and stacked.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the invention,reference will now be made to the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention as illustrated in FIGS. 3-8, and specific language used todescribe the same. For illustrative purposes only, the invention isprimarily shown and described as applied to a sofa, but as will bereadily apparent, the invention can be easily adapted for any similartype of furniture such as a loveseat or chair, either ready-toassembleor fully assembled. Therefore, it should be understood that nolimitation of the scope of the invention is hereby intended. Theterminology used herein is for the purpose of description, notlimitation. Any modifications or variations in the depicted frames andthe methods of making and assembling the same, and such furtherapplications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein,as would normally occur to one skilled in the art, are considered to bewithin the spirit of this invention.

[0036] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown two views of aprior art furniture frame 10 showing the rectangular side rails 22 onthe seat box portion 20, the oak seat stretchers 30, and the notchlessback upright support posts 48. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, theseat box portion 20 and the back portion 40 of the prior art frame areintegrally made as a single piece. As such, the seat box 20 and back 40portions of the prior art frames are not suitable for easy nesting andstacking. The side rails 22 on this prior art seat box 20 aresubstantially rectangular, with the bottom edges of the side rails beingsubstantially flush with the floor and the bottoms of the back uprightsupport posts 48. The seat stretchers 30 and the inside gut rail 46 inthis prior art frame are made of oak, which is much heavier and moreexpensive than plywood or OSB. Furthermore, in this prior art framedesign, there are no back upright support posts with notches in them foraccepting and supporting the seat box portion 20 of the frame 10. Thisseat box portion 20 is merely integrated with the back portion 40, butis not supported by back portion 40.

[0037] Referring now to FIGS. 3-8, different views of an embodiment ofthe present invention are shown. In embodiments of the presentinvention, the seat box portion 20 and the back portion 40 may be madeas separate pieces, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0038] In embodiments of the present invention, the seat box portion 20has two spaced-apart side panels or side edges 22 that are uniquelyangled, curved or tapered (i.e., narrowing from the front towards theback of the frame) so the seat box portion 20 may nest together with theback portion 40, forming a substantially flat rectangle once nested, asseen in FIG. 7. Once nested, the two unupholstered portions form arectangle approximately twenty-nine inches (29″) wide and eleven inches(11″) high. If fully upholstered before being nested together, the twoportions form a rectangle somewhat larger. These nested portions can beeasily stacked, as shown in FIG. 8, and can also be easily stored andtransported. Each of the two side panels 22 is attached to a back springrail 26 and a front rail or front edge 28. A front spring rail 24 isalso attached to the front rail 28 and to the two side panels 22. Frontspring rail 24 and back spring rail 26 form the seating suspension ofthese frames once springs 36 are strung between them. Therefore,preferably front rail 28 and the seating suspension are attachedtogether to impart strength to the frame. Additionally, there is abottom front rail 34 attached to the bottom of the front rail 28 forattaching the upholstery to. Preferably, the individual pieces that makeup the seat box portion (the side panels 22, the front spring rail 24,the back spring rail 26, the front rail 28, the seat stretchers 30, andthe bottom front rail 34) are attached together with a frame stapler,but other suitable attachment mechanisms may be used.

[0039] If a chair is being made from this frame, there is really no needfor seat stretchers, but one or more seat stretchers 30 may beinterposed between the back spring rail 26 and the front rail 28.However, if a loveseat or sofa or larger piece of furniture is beingmade with this frame, then at least one seat stretcher 30, preferablytwo, are interposed between the back spring rail 26 and the front rail28. Spring attachment mechanisms 32 may be attached to the spring rails24, 26, and springs 36 may then be secured or anchored to these springrail attachment mechanisms 32. The seat box portion 20 of the frames ofthe present invention may be pitched downwards towards the rear of thesofa to provide the desired seating surface for the finished furniture.The pitch of the seating surface is determined by the difference inheight or elevation between front spring rail 24 and back spring rail26.

[0040] Side panels 22, front rail 28, and bottom front rail 34 may bemade of any suitable material, preferably either mill grade plywood orOSB. Front spring rail 24 and back spring rail 26 may also be made ofany suitable material, preferably oak. Seat stretchers 30 may likewisebe made of any suitable material capable of holding spring rails 24, 26apart, but are preferably made of mill grade plywood or OSB instead ofthe oak typically used in the prior art frames. In the prior art framesthe seat stretchers 30 support the spring rails 24, 26, and also providesupport to back portion 40. Now, however, since notches 50 provide somuch support in the frames of the present invention, the seat stretchers30 no longer need to be made of oak. Using the preferred materialsspecified herein helps reduce the material costs, as well as the weight,of these frames. Also, using mill grade plywood or OSB makes it possibleto use a router to cut many of these parts out. This too helps reducethe costs associated with the frames of the present invention.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present invention, the back portion 40of frame 10 has at least two spaced-apart back upright support posts 48.The two back upright support posts 48 are attached together with a toprail 42 and an outside back bottom rail 44. Additionally, an inside gutrail 46 is interposed between the two back upright support posts 48. Ifa chair is being made from this frame, there is really no need forcenter back upright support posts 48. However, if a loveseat or sofa orlarger piece of furniture is being made with this frame, then one ormore center back upright support posts 48 may be interposed between thetop rail 42 and the outside back bottom rail 44. Preferably, a loveseatwill have at least one center back upright support post 48, and a sofawill have at least two center back upright support posts 48. Preferably,the individual pieces that make up the back portion (the top rail 42,the outside bottom rail 44, the inside gut rail 46, and the back uprightsupport posts 48) are attached together with a frame stapler, but othersuitable attachment mechanisms may be used.

[0042] The back upright support posts 48 include a notch 50, which isdesigned to accept and support the back spring rail 26 of seat boxportion 20. The inside gut rail 46 also fits within notch 50 in the backupright support posts 48. This notch 50 provides support to the seat boxportion 20 of frame 10, and to anyone sitting on the finished piece offurniture. The design of the present invention is superior to the priorart design because these notches 50 bear and distribute theweight-bearing load over the entire width of frame 10, whereas in thepast, the weight-bearing load was all borne by one or two connectionmechanisms between the back portion 40 and the seat box portion 20. Inthe frames of the present invention, very little, if any, weight orstress is borne by the connectors connecting seat box portion 20 andback portion 40 together at connections 14. Instead, these connectors,preferably bolts and T-nuts, merely attach these parts together at 14;they do not help support the load on these parts. This makes the framesof the present invention sturdier than those of the prior art. It shouldbe obvious to those skilled in the art that connectors other than boltsand T-nuts may be used to connect these parts together. Therefore, allsuch easy to use connectors are deemed to be within the scope of thepresent invention.

[0043] Back upright support posts 48 and outside back bottom rail 44 maybe made of any suitable material, preferably either mill grade plywoodor OSB. Top rail 42 may also be made of any suitable material,preferably oak. Since notches 50 provide so much support in the framesof the present invention, the inside gut rail 46 no longer needs to bemade of oak; instead it is preferably made of mill grade plywood or OSB,both of which are much cheaper and lighter than oak. However, othersuitable, economical materials may also be utilized for inside gut rail46. As previously discussed with respect to the seat box portion 20,using the preferred materials specified herein helps reduce the materialcosts, as well as the weight, of these frames. Also, using mill gradeplywood or OSB makes it possible to use a router to cut many of theseparts out. This too helps reduce the costs associated with the frames ofthe present invention.

[0044] In many embodiments of the present invention, arm portions arealso attached to the seat box portion 20 and back portion 40 of thepresent invention.

[0045] Separate seat box portion 20 and back portion 40 may be easilynested together for stacking, storing or shipping, as shown in FIG. 7.Additionally, seat box portion 20 and back portion 40 may be upholsteredbefore being nested together. When fully upholstered and nested, withthe two arm portions and cushions stacked as flat as possible on top ofthe nested seat box and back portions, one sofa incorporating a frame ofthe present invention measures approximately 69″ L×35″ W×32″ H. Thatmeans many more sofas incorporating frames of the present invention maybe fit within a given area than was possible with the prior art frames.For example, a typical forty foot high cubed tractor trailer will holdapproximately thirty nine (39) prior art sofas, as compared tofifty-eight (58) sofas incorporating the frames of the presentinvention, which helps reduce shipping costs, as well as reducing theamount of warehouse and production space that is needed. The seat box 20and back 40 portions may be nested and packed in a box, with the armportions 60 and cushions being packed and shipped in a separate box.Preferably, however, the seat box 20 and back 40 portions are nested,then the arm portions 60 and cushions are arranged as flat as possibleon top of the nested portions 20, 40, and everything is packed andshipped in a single box. If only the seat box portion 20 and backportion 40 are packed together and shipped, with the arm portions 60 andcushions packed and shipped separately, then even more sofas with thesenew frames can be fit on the tractor trailer.

[0046] As previously stated, separate seat box portion 20 and backportion 40 may be easily nested together for stacking, storing orshipping, as shown in FIG. 7. These substantially rectangular nestedportions may then be easily stacked one upon another, as shown in FIG.8.

[0047] Seat box portion 20 and back portion 40 may be easily attached toone another at 14 via two easy to use connectors, such as bolts andT-nuts or the like. These two connectors connect the back spring rail 26on the seat box portion 20 to the inside gut rail 46 on the back portion40, preferably with one being near each end back upright support post48, as shown in FIGS. 3 & 5. Assembly of the seat box portion 20 withthe back portion 40 may occur in the furniture manufacturing facility,in a warehouse, in the store that sells the furniture, in a customer'shome, or anywhere else suitable for assembling furniture. Employees ofany of these afore-mentioned places can be easily trained to assemblethese frames. Even customers can be provided with easy-to-followinstructions so that they may assemble these frames by themselves. Eachof the two arm portions 60 (not shown) may be easily attached to theassembled seat and back portions via three connectors, preferably boltsand T-nuts, at 14—two through each end back upright support post 48 andone through each side panel 22 of seat box portion 20, as shown in FIGS.3 & 5. As just described, assembling this frame together is simple,requiring only eight (8) easy to use connectors, such as bolts andT-nuts, once the individual seat box 20, back 40, and arm 60 portionsare manufactured by the furniture manufacturing company. Preferably, allthe bolts and T-nuts are ¾″ to provide the desired stability to theframe. Additionally, to help ensure that the arm portions do not moveonce attached, two additional screws may be used to anchor the armportions 60 in place. Preferably, one of these screws 16 is locatedtowards the bottom front corner of each side edge 22, and is preferablya ¼″ screw.

[0048] Since seat box portion 20 and back portion 40 are made asseparate pieces, they may be nested together to form a substantiallyflat rectangle, as previously discussed. To facilitate the best possiblepacking arrangements on a truck, the back and seat box portions of theseframes may be shipped separately from the arm portions of the frames.Doing that would make the boxes even flatter, and would allow more ofthe boxes to be stacked in a trailer of a given height.

[0049] Since the frames of the present invention are so easilyassembled, customers may purchase unassembled sofas, chairs or loveseatsincorporating these frames, and then assemble them by themselves. Forexample, customers may purchase such furniture at a store, via mailorder, or via the Internet. The furniture may then be taken home by thecustomer, or it may be shipped directly to the customer's home. Thecustomer may then easily assemble the furniture using only eight (8)easy-to-use connectors, like bolts and T-nuts, and two (2) screws. Theseat box portion 20 is preferably attached to the back portion 40 usingtwo (2) bolts and T-nuts 14, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. An arm portion60 is then preferably attached to one upright end support post 48, usingtwo (2) bolts and T-nuts 14, and to the side edge 22 proximate theupright end support post 48 using one (1) bolt and T-nut 14. The otherarm portion may then be similarly attached to the other upright endsupport post 48 and side edge 22. To secure these arm portions in place,a screw 16 may be used to anchor each arm portion 60 in place withrespect to each side edge 16 and upright end support post 48.

[0050] While the figures and description herein generally depict a framefor a sofa, it is contemplated that the frames of the present inventionmay be utilized in variations other types of furniture, that will beobvious to one skilled in the art, without deviating from the spirit ofthis invention. It is contemplated that the frames of the presentinvention may be designed in various sizes, shapes, designs and stylesfor sofas, loveseats, chairs and the like. Furthermore, it iscontemplated that the frames of the present invention may beincorporated into either ready-to-assemble or fully assembled furnituresuch as sofas, loveseats and/or chairs. Finally, it is contemplated thatthe frames of the present invention may be assembled by themanufacturer, the seller, the end consumer, or anyone else capable ofassembling these frames. Thus, it is intended that the present inventioncover such modifications and variations as come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A furniture frame comprising: a seat box portioncomprising a front edge, a back edge, and two side edges disposedproximate the ends of and between the front edge and the back edge; anda back portion comprising a top rail, a bottom rail, and two upright endsupport posts disposed proximate the ends of and between the top railand the bottom rail, wherein each upright support post comprises a notchfor supporting the back edge of the seat box portion.
 2. The furnitureframe of claim 1 wherein the two side edges of the seat box portion aretapered towards the back edge of the seat box portion so the seat boxportion is capable of being nested with the back portion.
 3. Thefurniture frame of claim 1 wherein the back edge of the seat box portioncomprises a back spring rail, and wherein the seat box portion furthercomprises a front spring rail.
 4. The furniture frame of claim 3 whereinthe seat box portion further comprises a seat stretcher.
 5. Thefurniture frame of claim 4 wherein the seat stretcher is interposedbetween the front spring rail and the back spring rail.
 6. The furnitureframe of claim 5 wherein the seat stretcher comprises at least one of:plywood and oriented strand board.
 7. The furniture frame of claim 1wherein the seat box portion is attached to the back portion.
 8. Thefurniture frame of claim 1 wherein the back portion further comprises aninside gut rail.
 9. The furniture frame of claim 8 wherein the back edgeof the seat box portion is attached to the inside gut rail of the backportion.
 10. The furniture frame of claim 9 wherein the back edge of theseat box comprises an oak back spring rail, and wherein the inside gutrail comprises at least one of: plywood and oriented strand board. 11.The furniture frame of claim 1 wherein the seat box portion and the backportion are nestable.
 12. The furniture frame of claim 11 wherein whenthe seat box portion and the back portion are nested together, they forma substantially flat rectangle.
 13. A furniture frame comprising: a seatbox portion comprising a front edge, a front spring rail, a back springrail, two side edges, and a seat stretcher; and a back portioncomprising a top rail, a bottom rail, and two upright end support posts;wherein the front edge and the front spring rail are attached together,the front spring rail and the back spring rail are attached to oppositeends of the two side edges, and the seat stretcher is interposed andattached between the front spring rail and the back spring rail, andwherein the top rail and the bottom rail are attached proximate oppositeends of the two upright end support posts, and wherein each upright endsupport post comprises a notch for accepting and supporting the backspring rail of the seat box portion, and wherein the two side edges ofthe seat box portion are tapered towards the back spring rail of theseat box portion; and wherein the seat box portion and the back portionare nestable.
 14. The furniture frame of claim 13 wherein the seatstretcher comprises at least one of: plywood and oriented strand board.15. The furniture frame of claim 13 wherein the seat box portion isattached to the back portion.
 16. The furniture frame of claim 13wherein the back portion further comprises an inside gut rail andwherein the back spring rail of the seat box portion is attached to theinside gut rail of the back portion.
 17. The furniture frame of claim 16wherein the inside gut rail comprises at least one of: plywood andoriented strand board.
 18. The furniture frame of claim 17 wherein theback spring rail of the seat box portion is attached to the inside gutrail of the back portion via two bolts and T-nuts.
 19. The furnitureframe of claim 13 wherein when the seat box portion and the back portionare nested together, they form a substantially flat rectangle.
 20. Thefurniture frame of claim 13 further comprising two arm portions, whereinone arm portion is attached to one of the side edges of the seat boxportion and to one of the upright end support posts at an edge of theback portion, while the other arm portion is attached to the other sideedge of the seat box portion and to another upright end support post atan opposite edge of the back portion.
 21. The furniture frame of claim20 wherein one arm portion is attached to one of the side edges of theseat box portion with one bolt and T-nut and to one of the upright endsupport posts at an edge of the back portion with two bolts and T-nuts,while the other arm portion is attached to the other side edge of theseat box portion with one bolt and T-nut and to another upright endsupport post at an opposite edge of the back portion with two bolts andT-nuts.
 22. The furniture frame of claim 13 wherein the frame is madesubstantially all of at least one of the following: oriented strandboard and plywood.
 23. The furniture frame of claim 13 wherein the toprail, the back spring rail and the front spring rail comprise oak, andthe two side edges, the bottom rail, the front edge and the two uprightend support posts comprise at least one of: plywood and oriented strandboard.
 24. The furniture frame of claim 13 wherein the seat box portionand the back portion are separate pieces that are nested together.
 25. Amethod of assembling a four part furniture frame, comprising the stepsof: providing a seat box portion, a back portion and two arm portions,wherein two side edges of the seat box portion are tapered towards aback spring rail of the seat box portion so that the seat box portionand the back portion may be nested together into a substantially flatrectangle, at least two upright support posts in the back portion eachhaving notches for supporting the back spring rail of the seat boxportion, attaching the back spring rail of the seat box portion to aninside gut rail of the back portion using at least two connectors toform a partial frame; attaching one arm portion to a first side of thepartial frame using at least three connectors; and attaching the otherarm portion to a second side of the partial frame using at least threeconnectors.
 26. The method of claim 25 wherein the connectors are boltsand T-nuts.
 27. A method of assembling a four part furniture frame,comprising the steps of: providing a seat box portion, a back portion,two arm portions and cushions, wherein two side edges of the seat boxportion are tapered towards a back spring rail of the seat box portionso that the seat box portion and the back portion may be nested togetherinto a substantially flat rectangle, at least two upright support postsin the back portion each having notches for supporting the back springrail of the seat box portion; shipping the seat box portion nestedtogether with the back portion in a substantially flat rectangle;attaching the back spring rail of the seat box portion to an inside gutrail of the back portion using at least two connectors to form a partialframe; attaching one arm portion to a first side of the partial frameusing at least three connectors; and attaching the other arm portion toa second side of the partial frame using at least three connectors. 28.The method of claim 27, the shipping step further comprising shippingthe nested seat box portion and back portion in a single box to one ofthe following: a warehouse, a furniture manufacturer, a store, and acustomer.
 29. The method of claim 27 wherein the attaching steps areperformed by one of the following: an employee in a warehouse, anemployee in a furniture manufacturing company, an employee in a store,and a customer.
 30. The method of claim 27 further comprising placingthe two arm portions and the cushions on top of the nested seat boxportion and back portion prior to shipping.
 31. The method of claim 30,the shipping step further comprising shipping the nested seat boxportion and back portion, the two arm portion and the cushions in asingle box to one of the following: a warehouse, a furnituremanufacturer, a store, and a customer.